Manager Essentials
Manager Essentials offers practical management training for new and experienced managers navigating evolving real-world people challenges.
The programme focuses on practical management skills that managers use day to day, including communication skills, decision making, boundaries and accountability, and inclusive management practice.
Learning outcomes
- Understand the journey to management and common pitfalls
- Take a coaching mindset to build team confidence
- Have confident performance conversations
- Shape a psychologically safe team culture
- Manage energy levels to prevent burnout and drive results
How This Works
- "The Book of Me": Personal journeys to management, identifying the strengths we each bring and the "technical doing" habits that need to be left behind to focus on enabling team success.
- Moving from "problem solver" to "team coach." We practice using simple questions to help others find solutions, building team confidence and reducing their reliance on manager decisions.
- How to have direct, helpful conversations. Participants learn how to address performance issues early and the importance of recognition for team morale and motivation.
- Practical ways to build a team where people feel safe to speak up and admit mistakes. We look at how in-the-moment reactions as a manager directly shape the team's culture and honesty.
- Managing team energy and your own. Learn to prioritise the tasks that matter and say no to distractions, ensuring the team stays focused on high-impact results without burning out.
- Leave with a set of actions to develop management practice, focused on enhancing trust, clarity, and effectiveness in day-to-day leadership.
Who it’s for
New and experienced line managers, supervisors and team leaders responsible for people, performance and day-to-day decisions .
Delivery
Half-day or full-day workshops, delivered in person or virtually and tailored to organisational context and sector pressures.
Optional Extras
Manager action toolkit
A practical set of templates and prompts to support managers after the session, with conversation planners, documentation prompts, escalation checklists and boundary-setting guidance.
Facilitated decision clinics
Short, facilitated sessions where managers bring live people challenges to sense-check approach, language and next steps, reinforcing confidence and consistency.
Pulse check-in
A short follow-up pulse diagnostic to assess whether manager confidence, consistency or escalation patterns have shifted post-training.
Manager coaching sprints
Time-limited one-to-one or small-group coaching to support managers dealing with particularly complex or sensitive issues.
Frequently asked questions
What is Manager Essentials designed to do?
Manager Essentials builds practical management capability for real people challenges. It focuses on everyday decisions, conversations and boundaries that managers are expected to handle confidently and consistently.
Is this suitable for new managers or experienced ones?
Both. New managers gain clarity and confidence in core management responsibilities. Experienced managers benefit from sharpening judgement, consistency and early intervention skills.
How practical is the programme?
Highly practical. This programme is not a theory-heavy management essentials book, it’s a facilitated training experience focused on real workplace practice. Managers work through realistic scenarios, practise conversations and apply simple frameworks they can use immediately in their role.
Does this replace HR guidance or policies?
No. It complements existing policies by helping managers apply them appropriately in day-to-day situations, reducing over-reliance on HR.
Will managers be asked to share personal issues or experiences?
The focus is on role-based scenarios and professional practice, not personal disclosure. There is no requirement for managers to share anything they don't feel comfortable to share.
Can the content be tailored to our organisation?
Yes. Scenarios, language and emphasis are adapted to your organisational context, policies and escalation routes.
Is this relevant for frontline or operational managers?
Yes. The programme works particularly well for managers operating in high-pressure, people-facing or operational environments.
What outcomes should we expect?
Organisations typically see earlier intervention, greater consistency across teams and reduced escalation of issues.
What support is available after the session?
Optional extras include follow-up decision clinics, manager toolkits, coaching bursts and pulse check-ins to support embedding.